Wyoming Hunt Area 146 (Fish Creek) deer hunting
Hunt area 146 is rolling and mountainous terrain between 7,400 and 10,500 feet, graded mostly gentle at 67 percent of the area, with 31 percent moderate and 2 percent steep slopes. The country is bisected by deep drainages that open into wide meadows and valleys. Lower elevations are dominated by sagebrush mixed with conifer; mid and higher elevations transition to dense lodgepole pine, integrading into spruce-fir and whitebark pine. South-facing slopes carry sagebrush and aspen.
The hunt area lies entirely on National Forest land with good structural access, but the country itself is remote. Few motorized roads penetrate the interior, and most hunting requires travel by horse or on foot. Trailheads are reached via the Union Pass Road or the Gros Ventre Road, but once in the area a hunter should expect a walking hunt through thick timber and steep country. Grizzly bear density is high here, and encounters should be anticipated as a normal part of hunting.
Seasons on this area differ chiefly in how deer respond to snow and elevation: in September the archery season opens early while deer scatter through higher country, but regular rifle hunting carries into late September as cooling weather can begin to move animals lower. Late-season snow typically triggers migration away from the hunt area toward the Dubois country to the east, usually by late October.
Licence and how this hunt area is drawn
Hunt Area 146 (Fish Creek) is a general-licence hunt area, and how a hunter gets a licence for it depends on where they live.
- A Wyoming resident buys a general deer licence over the counter — unlimited statewide, on sale from mid-July. No draw, no application, no preference points.
- A nonresident cannot buy one. They must draw a Region general licence — for this hunt area, deer region H, which is valid across the general-licence hunt areas of that region and nowhere else.
A hunter may hold only ONE general deer licence in a year, so a general licence is a single choice rather than something to stack.
Wyoming residents have no preference points for deer — the resident deer draw is random, and no resident point cutoff exists for any hunt area in the state. For nonresidents points matter a great deal: Wyoming awards 75% of each nonresident pool through the preference-point draw, top-down by points, and the remaining 25% at random. Nonresidents also choose between the Regular and Special pools — the same hunts at two price points, competing separately.
Seasons (2025)
- Type Gen — general licence · Antlered mule deer four (4) points or more on either antler or any white-tailed deerLegal: mule deer and white-tailed deer, under different rulesArchery September 1 – September 14Regular September 15 – September 30
Where a hunt above sets an antler requirement on mule deer and then allows any white-tailed deer, that point requirement is a mule deer rule only. And “any white-tailed deer” means any— buck, doe or fawn. WGFD writes “antlered” where it means a buck and “antlerless” or “doe or fawn” where it means a female, so an unqualified “any” sets no restriction on sex or age.
The wording of each hunt is the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s and is legally exact — a “doe or fawn” hunt is not a deer hunt in general, and a hunt limited to part of the area is not valid across it. Confirm every hunt in the current regulations before applying.
Hunting each season
Type Gen — Antlered mule deer four (4) points… · mule deer & whitetail (September)
The September season spans two phases with different implements and deer distribution. The archery window (September 1–14) opens early while mule deer and white-tailed deer are scattered across higher elevations; temperatures average highs near 58°F with lows around 32°F, and hunters access the area on foot or horseback via the Union Pass Road or Gros Ventre Road. The rifle portion (September 15–30) carries into the same rut phase with similar weather, though September snowfall (averaging 0.5 inches) can begin to push deer lower as the month progresses. Both windows require self-sufficient backcountry travel and accept antlered mule deer with four or more points on either antler, along with any white-tailed deer, though mule deer antler restrictions do not apply to white-tailed animals. Grizzly bear encounters are a regular part of hunting here.
Land and access
About 100% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, roughly 161 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.
Where deer are mapped
Each figure is the share of the hunt area that layer covers. It says where deer are mapped, not where inside the area they are, and not when they move.
Habitat and cover
Lower elevations
Mid elevations
Higher elevations
Shares are of each elevation band, not of the whole hunt area — they describe what grows up there, not how much of the area sits at that elevation.
Weather through the season
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25°F | 3°F | 20.3 in |
| February | 29°F | 4°F | 19.6 in |
| March | 36°F | 10°F | 18.3 in |
| April | 43°F | 18°F | 14.3 in |
| May | 52°F | 27°F | 3.4 in |
| June | 60°F | 34°F | 0.2 in |
| July | 69°F | 40°F | 0 in |
| August | 68°F | 38°F | 0 in |
| September | 58°F | 32°F | 0.5 in |
| October | 45°F | 23°F | 6.8 in |
| November | 32°F | 11°F | 18.2 in |
| December | 24°F | 3°F | 23.2 in |
Snowfall is the monthly total, not depth lying on the ground.
Common questions
- Can a hunter with a general deer licence hunt area 146 as a Wyoming resident without drawing?
- Yes. Wyoming residents can buy a general deer licence over the counter from mid-July with no draw required; it is unlimited statewide and valid throughout the general-licence hunt areas of all regions, including hunt area 146. A resident may hold only one general deer licence per year.
- How do nonresidents hunt the general seasons in hunt area 146?
- Nonresidents must draw a Region H general licence, which is valid only in the general-licence hunt areas of that region, including hunt area 146. Three quarters of the regional licences are awarded by preference points (top-down draw), and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants in the pool. Preference points therefore matter significantly for nonresidents pursuing this area.
- Which deer species are legal in the September season on hunt area 146, and which restrictions apply to mule deer?
- Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are legal. Mule deer must be antlered with four or more points on either antler; any white-tailed deer are legal, regardless of sex, age or antlers. The antler restriction applies to mule deer only.
- What is the terrain and access like in hunt area 146 for a foot hunter?
- The area is mostly gentle to moderate terrain between 7,400 and 10,500 feet, but interior access is limited to foot or horseback; few motorized roads penetrate the hunt area itself. Trailheads are accessible via the Union Pass Road or Gros Ventre Road. Hunters should prepare for high grizzly bear densities and remote country that demands self-sufficiency.
- When does the September season on hunt area 146 run for archery and rifle?
- The archery season runs September 1 to September 14, and the regular rifle season runs September 15 to September 30. Both windows are part of a single hunt with different legal implements.
Sources
- Wyoming Game & Fish — Hunting & Trapping — licence types, general and limited-quota hunts, and season structure
- WGFD Hunt Planner — hunt-area boundaries, season dates and the unit descriptions
- WGFD — Draw results and odds — how the resident random draw and the nonresident preference-point draw work
- WGFD — Regulations — the legal limitations on each hunt, and the statewide licence rules
- USGS National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2021) and 3DEP elevation — land cover and terrain by elevation band
Seasons, licence types and boundaries change. Confirm every detail with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before applying or hunting.